Thats an interesting option. I have done something similar on Herz jacks where the springs were molded into the jack itself but I just drilled two holes and crossed the wire over itself. It works and beats replacing jacks...Never occurred to me to try melting the plastic over the wire.... --Dave On 9/1/10 2:33 PM, Fred Sturm wrote: > On Aug 31, 2010, at 8:55 AM, John Minor wrote: > >> Anyone know a source for replacement jack tongues for a Dowd >> harpsichord? >> >> John Minor >> University of Illinois > > > The usual reason to need new tongues is that the spring breaks. I > don't remember if Dowd tongues have plastic springs, but I came up > with an efficient way to attach new springs to plastic tongues. > 1) Saw a kerf (exacto saw) about 1 cm long where the old spring left > the tongue (along the back of the tongue) > 2) Drill a tiny hole at the end of the kerf > 3) Take a short length of thin wire (.008" or so) and make a 90 degree > bend 2 mm from the end > 4) Insert that bend in the hole, and press the wire into the kerf > 5) Melt the plastic with a heat controlled soldering iron to secure > the wire in the kerf > 6) Make a curve in the wire where it will bear on the jack, cut away > excess. > 7) Adjust the curvature for clearance and appropriate strength. > This goes very fast once you have the tools and supplies > assembled. The only thing I haven't mentioned is a vice to hold the > tongue while sawing, drilling and melting. > Regards, > Fred Sturm > fssturm at unm.edu > http://www.youtube.com/fredsturm > > --
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC